The footprints of Don Quixote, windmill villages, and the world's largest vineyard
There are myths and their beliefs, grounded in improbable historical facts. There are everyday utopias intertwined with epics of dubious origin, but no less plausible for that. And there are idiosyncrasies that cannot be pigeonholed into a single authenticity. If anything was and continues to be an outstanding feature of Spain, it is its passion for cultural, social and ethnic differences, a mixture of which memorable vestiges still remain. .
Across this peninsula, rich in equally monotonous landscapes, the millennia have left the imperial imprint of Rome, the economic discipline of the Sephardic Jews, the separate law of the Roma communities, the religious prejudices of the Catholic Church, and a geopolitical map that is a mosaic of disparate autonomies. What would be the authentic Spain?
It is to be hoped that all Spains are like this: that of Almodóvar and of the cloistered nuns, nestled in the heart of Madrid; that of the colorful popular festivals, religious or pagan; that of the still invisible towns and that of the spectacular carnivals of Cádiz; that of the superlative pata negra ham of Extremadura and that of the gargantuan gastronomic soirees of Euskadi; that of the mysticism inspired by the roads to Santiago, and That of the adventures of the knight-errant and his squire that the genius of Cervantes knew how to immortalize in an everlasting literary work The myths and symbols of each region, and within each region, their particularities. The inventory has only just begun.
A vast territory, sparsely populated and full of vineyards The white Airén and the red Garnacha are imposed in the vegetal order of Vitis vinifera in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, historically the great supplier of wines . Every now and then, the wavy monotony is interrupted by a set of old windmills and the nearby hamlet; the scenic view foreshadows a peaceful existence, whose inhabitants are convinced of the historical significance of Don Quixote. The five centuries preceding the work that Don Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra conceived "in a place in La Mancha," whose name he preferred not to remember, emit their heartbeats, and no one wants to miss them.
Argamasilla de Alba claims the right to be the location where Cervantes suffered captivity and, to bear this heavy burden, he wrote what was originally intended to be a treatise on chivalry and became the most famous universal adventure book in the world. .
There you can see the Medrano Cave , which maintains the original structure of traditional Manchegan houses, those spaces that retain warmth in the depths of winter and provide refuge from the heat outside in summer. Its entire historical value lies in its connection with the figure of the One-Armed Man of Lepanto, who, it is said, was imprisoned in that cave whose magnum opus transcended.
In El Toboso –Toledo town and residence of the beloved Dulcinea, Lorenza Aldonza –, a practically unalterable existential calm reigns: travelers arrive year-round, delighted by the chance to browse the recreation of Dulcinea's House and the Cervantes Museum. In this temple, Depository of numerous and varied editions in more than 70 languages, the largest in existence is kept (listed in the guide Guinness ) , handmade by students from Barcelona, and with copies signed by Nelson Mandela, Rafa Nadal, Juan Domingo Perón, among many others.
In this town, a very special accommodation surprises; it is the Casa de la Torre, colloquially known as “Isabel's house”, a passionate fan of Cervantes' work Her merit lies not only in having collected a considerable number of Don Quixote ; to this are added her skills as a hostess: Isabel welcomes those who come to El Toboso in her elegant home, eager to connect with the place where Dulcinea is supposed to have lived, and she promotes interesting literary gatherings.
Alcázar de San Juan , a town in Ciudad Real where until just yesterday the peasants expressed themselves in the old way (they said “my mother”, “my father”, among other delicious anachronisms), today proposes a visit to the Hidalgo House Museum The term hidalgo literally means "son of something" and, by lineage, refers to the lower echelon of the nobility. It is also synonymous with "generous" and "magnanimous." It is no coincidence that this figure inspired Cervantes to include it in his Quixotic adventures.
Villarrubia de los Ojos , also part of Ciudad Real, was originally Rubeum; in the 11th century, it gained the status of town, two words that became Villarrubia. In the 16th century, it became known as "de los Ajos" (Garlic Village) due to the quantity of this allium that was cultivated; two centuries later, it was called Villarrubia de los Oxos del Guadiana (the river that runs through its territory). – and then it was without Guadiana. But they're not clear; to this day, it's referred to both ways.
It is suggested to stop at El Mirador de La Mancha , a rural accommodation in full contact with nature, which offers a Very good regional cuisine and defined as “exquisite” by many Its creators boast of having the largest wooden sculpture of Don Quixote on planet Earth—could that be true?—which stands at nine meters tall.
An icon of La Mancha is Campo de Criptana , with its community of flour windmills that were once prosperous and today are "the" postcard of the area A key landmark on this route, with its interpretation center and the leisurely stroll that invites you to lunch in the La Martina caves, with a Mediterranean feel. Before saying goodbye, it's worth stopping on the terrace of Las Musas , with a drink in between, under the splendour of the open sky, pure and boundless, filling both sight and spirit with the most precious images of this destination of Neolithic heritage.
The opposite would be Tomelloso , which keeps a t Underground caves. These are the caves built in private homes at the beginning of the 19th century. (circa 1820), now heritage and, at the time, conceived for the family economy based on the production and storage of wines.
Today, the Virgen de las Viñas winery and oil mill ( almazara , “oil mill”, and which, by extension, is applied to grapes as a synonym for trapiche, lagar), with its facilities – in addition to an ethnographic museum and a museum of contemporary art – is a reality that expresses the The scale of the winemaking industry in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha. Added to this is the institution's influence as a wine cooperative, the largest in Europe, which serves 3,000 families. .
Tomelloso is proud to have the Antonio López Torres Museum, illustrious realist painter which gives identity to this space and which since the 80s has exposed the realities and beauties of its town, its people, its landscapes, and the strong and unquestionable commitment to the land.
To close this chapter of literary wanderings, it's worth stopping in Escalona (note: there are other towns with the same name): it's a municipality in the province of Toledo, a destination that, it seems, is usually chosen in the summer by Madrid residents for its coastal walk where the Alberche River, at the foot of the castle, tempts you to take a dip.
In the main square you can see a scene from the Lazarillo de Tormes –amid a colorful display of urban art–, another iconic Spanish literary figure, but in this case by an anonymous author. The novel is written in the first person and in epistolary style, with the earliest editions dating back to 1554.
By geographical location, Castilla-La Mancha was and is a territory of passage where roads cross, whether from the capital of the kingdom to Andalusia, the Levant or the extreme west that preludes access to the neighboring country of Portugal. , or vice versa.
Castilian-Manchegan cuisine is simple, austere in resources and, in general, of a pastoral nature. ; hence, sheep and goat meat barely leave room for beef. The writer and journalist Julio Camba—originally from Galicia—used to joke about Spanish cuisine, saying it was full of garlic and religious prejudices. It makes sense: this autonomous community pays a staunch tribute to the historic reign of the Catholic Monarchs.
Examples: Garlic masaero or pringue. Garlic flour. Rice with hare. Asadillo. Atascaburras. Manchegan stew. Carcamusas. Cochifrito. Garlic rabbit. Grief and grief. Porridge (savory and sweet). Manchegan gazpacho. Eggs a la porreta. Shepherd's crumbs. Manchego blood sausage. Potatoes with garlic. Potatoes in a heap. Cheese in oil. Fried cheese. Cheese with rosemary. Pickled partridge. Pipirrana. Manchego ratatouille. Castilian soup. Tiznao. Zarajos. And in a sweet version: Calatrava Bread. Almond Pastry. Alajú. Amarguillos. Arrope. Rice Pudding. Bienmesabe. Drunken Sponge Cake. Fritters. Imperial Cup. Corpus Christi Sleep. Fried Flower. Fritters. Flakes. Toledo Marzipan . Miguelitos. Pestiños. Some must necessarily be missing, but this is as far as we could go.
On a journey through the immensity of Castilla-La Mancha, there is room for a slow tour of its dishes and landscapes, with intensely lit sunsets (there is no Photoshop that can darken them), fields dominated by the glow of the saffron (the gold of Consuegra), vineyards ad infinitum , storks' nests in the bell towers. And, every so often, the mirage of a delirious knight escorted by the plump figure of a sensible squire in the fleeting backlight of a dreamed desire.
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